Here we go (& Friday Links)

Aron and I are headed off for a kid-free weekend in Las Vegas and I can’t wait! Is it wrong that I’m especially excited for Shake Shack?! The kids have the next two Mondays off from school, so we don’t even completely miss out on family-time by going away. When we get back, we’ll make Valentines for their classes on Tuesday. Are you ready for Valentine’s Day next week?

I can’t stop thinking about this incredible essay by a mother whose son is transgender, about their experience with his transition and the efforts they made to allow him a safe space to explore gender and identity and to ask the community to do the same. I can only imagine how much this story might have a positive impact in many homes. Bravo to the A Cup of Jo team for sharing it!

I haven’t read these yet, but I’m intrigued: The Atlantic‘s series of Ambition Interviews “tells the story of a group of women who by all measures were in a position to rise to the highest echelons of any industry. Why some did—and why many didn’t—reveals much about what stands in the way of greater gender equality in the workplace today.”

I’ve been obsessed with this video (and song) by M.I.A. for a long time and it’s old news, but I just watched the Behind the Scenes. Incredible! I actually yelled aloud at my computer when during one of the “skating” moments.

Also, fashion-wise, Bridge and Burn’s kids t-shirts are SO soft. This one is my favorite.

We’ve been watching old episodes of Mr. Rogers (used to be on Netflix, now on Amazon Prime), and the kids loved watching construction paper getting made. We made a paper chain just like the one he has in the full episode for Skyler’s birthday decorations. It’s so calm and slow—I love it!

Skyler got this book for her birthday and both kids are obsessed. Hudson asked if we could get a baguette and squealed when I said yes. Ha!

Finally, from the news this week, if you haven’t read the entirety of Corretta Scott King’s full statement submitted to the senate in 1986 regarding now-AG Sessions, here’s a copy. In it she writes “if confirmed, he will be given life tenure for doing with a federal prosecution what the local sheriffs accomplished twenty years ago with clubs and cattle prods.”

After Elizabeth Warren was prevented from reading it aloud with the admonishment (and now-rallying cry) “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted” from Mitch McConnell, she spoke about the silencing in an interview with Trevor Noah, saying in essence ‘nobody is saying these aren’t the facts. What they’re saying is you aren’t allowed to talk about them.’ Chilling.